When It May Be Necessary to Hire a Panel Beater for Your Car or Truck
Posted on: 17 August 2015
A tiny scratch or dent in your car may not be of much concern to you, and some car owners who are skilled with sandpaper and who have the necessary tools may think they can pop out a small dent on their own. However, you never want to assume that you can or should try to handle all vehicle dent repair yourself, even if it's something minor. There are times when you should hire a panel beater for your car or truck rather than ignoring a dent or trying to fix it yourself. Note the following considerations to keep in mind.
1. If the car is still under warranty
If your car or truck is still under warranty, you may not be allowed to handle any repair on your own without voiding that warranty, even minor smash repair. This is because improper repair work or a poor-quality job can result in greater damage to a car during a future accident.
Body panels may be constructed in such a way that they absorb and disperse the weight of an impact in order to protect the parts under the hood or that are part of the drive train. If you don't fix a dent properly, this can allow more impact and in turn, more damage to the parts behind that panel. In turn, your dealership may consider your warranty voided and you may be liable for the cost of repairs.
2. If you cannot find exact parts to match
Unless you've been properly trained in how to work on a car or truck body and shave or otherwise alter parts to fit, you never want to use parts that don't match or that aren't made for your vehicle specifically. Even parts on the outside body such as the windshield frame and bumpers are meant to fit your car model specifically and when they don't, this can allow for greater wear and tear on your car and even compromise your safety.
If you're handling your own smash repair and cannot find replacement panels, a windshield frame, or the right bumpers for your car, don't try to alter other pieces but instead, call a professional panel beater. They may have access to more dealers and vendors than you and even if they don't, they will be properly trained in how to shave or weld or otherwise fabricate pieces so that they fit as they should and are safe for use on the road.
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